As winter grains start to head out and flower, it’s time to start scouting your fields for Loose smut (Ustilago nuda, U. avenae, U. tritici). Loose smut is found in winter and spring spelt, barley, and wheat, as well as oats. Spelt and barley are particularly susceptible to infection. Loose smut is one of the …
Author Archives: outcropn
Now, it has started raining…
After a pretty dry Spring, the rain finally came and has pushed back a lot of our schedules. Hopefully you were able to make the first cut off your hay field, before all of this rain came in. If you haven’t, harvest will be pushed back and by that time the hay will lose up …
Just Drill It
Now that spring is in full swing, corn is going in the ground and farmers are evaluating their pastures and meadowlands. Rumor has it that winter kill was substantial this past winter, and now is the time to mend your pastures and meadows. UVM Extension has 4 drills available for rent throughout the Champlain Valley. …
Please Die Rye
Over these past summer-like days, undoubtedly you’ve seen some rye growth! So now is definitely the time to be thinking about termination. Killing the rye through plow down or herbicides are your options right now. Incorporating a winter rye cover crop in its vegetative stage will result in the quickest nitrogen release to your corn …
My cover crops are growing
April is almost over and the wet and cool weather has everyone feeling like they are a little behind in their field work already!! It looks like we have a decent stretch of weather coming through the first few days of May. If you drove by your fields and thought to yourself ‘my cover crops …
Welcome to our Soil Health Updates!
Cover crop season seems a ways off as we still have not begun much field work, but one of the keys to successful cover cropping is planning. As part of creating a good plan with lots of options, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program is going to start sharing regular Soil …
Evaluating and Managing Alfalfa Stands for Winter Injury
Dr. Heather Darby UVM Extension Agronomist Introduction Many conditions occurring in the fall, winter or spring can have an impact on the winter survival or injury of perennial forage stands, particularly alfalfa. Therefore it is important to assess stands early in the spring and explore your options for managing winter injury. How to Diagnose Winter …
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MILK PRICE PROTECTION FOR THE STATE’S DAIRIES OPENS THIS WEEK
Vermont dairy farmers will once again have an opportunity to purchase federal insurance which protects the gross margin between low milk and high feed prices through the USDA’s Livestock Gross Margin for dairy cattle program. UVM Extension’s agricultural economist, Bob Parsons, said that Vermont dairy farmers took full advantage of the program during prior sales …
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Impact of Dry Weather on Corn Growth and Development
Dr. Heather Darby, UVM Extension Agronomist Very low precipitation over the last few months has caused drought stress in isolated areas of the state. The dry weather can have an impact on corn growth and development. For many farms corn silage harvest will begin in the next few weeks partly due to an above average …
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Armyworm Alert!
An armyworm outbreak has been reported in New York. Western NY through the western edge of the Finger Lakes is where there is the most activity. Damage to grass hay, wheat, corn, pastures, and lawns has been reported for this area. Armyworm has also been found in the greater Albany area and most recently in Clinton county …
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